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Updated: 12:56 PM Nov 5, 2009
State Budget Cuts Could Affect Lincoln
Lincoln, Neb. State senators re-convened at 10:00 Thursday morning to resume discussion about how to handle the state's $334 million budget shortfall. But how could some of the adjustments affect the city of Lincoln?
Posted: 12:51 PM Nov 5, 2009Reporter: Christie Bett Email Address: christie.bett@1011now.com |
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9 Comments 
From state employees losing work hours, to elimination of school funds, and possible layoffs... many solutions have been discussed to close the state budget gap, and some could result in big changes for Lincoln.
Lincoln State Senator Colby Coash says if the Legislature decides on state employee furloughs or adjustments, a large number of Lincoln workers could be affected.
"Between the university and the State Capitol, and the state office building and HHS, and the teachers, Lincoln has a lot of employees that make their livelihood off their services to the citizens. So we have to look as Lincoln senators, how will that affect the jobs that we represent," said Coash.
Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler says aside from state employee changes, some smaller cuts in the Governor's proposal could also add up.
"We know that in our state aid programs we'll lose in the area of $50 thousand this year, and $100 thousand next year. And then, in addition, there's some 911 money that we were hoping could be used for capital improvements in Lincoln, and if that money's taken there will be several hundred thousand dollars more that will be lost," Beutler said.
And how far will those losses trickle down? Small Business Owner Adam Hintz says he's worried cuts will directly affect his customers at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso.
"I'm afraid of what the budget cuts will do to the employees of the state, and then how the employees of the state will change their purchasing habits. It might make the recession a little bit worse for us small businesses," Hintz said.
Some relief could come early next year, though, as Mayor Beutler says he plans to actually ask the Legislature for some money he says the city is owed.
"Last year, they failed to correct a mistake they made in the highway allocation funds that cost Lincoln $700,000 last year, and in all fairness they need to correct that mistake.
More Lincoln residents and business owners will be able to voice their opinions in the public hearings that begin at 1:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon in the Capitol.
To hear more from Senator Coash, just click on the video links above.
Latest Comments
State sanctioned gambling has been shown to cost the state more money than is gained over a 10 year cycle due the social effects. It is a bad idea morally, it is a bad idea financially. Taxing the mathematically illiterate is tantamount to stealing. The way to control state spending is to stop giving increased budgets every year. The reality is that if we cut out the planned increase in budgets we could easily make up the difference. However, you have a bunch of whining statist unions who every time will claim that cutting out the planned increase requires cutting services (http://www.1011now.com/news/headlines/69712257.html) and this is because they have neither the interest or forethought to consider methods of increasing their service without adding cost. I am sorry but if the administrators and managers of the state departments can not functionally deal with an across the board cut than they should consider a different job, perhaps road worker.
How about building a couple of casino's in Nebraska? That would hire hundreds of laid of workers and bring in millions of tax dollars that go to Iowa and Kansas right now. You wouldn't have to talk about cutting any jobs and you would hire many more with this kind of move.
It is not always about Lincoln or Omaha. Nebraska does not start at Lincoln. How about the rest of us out west. You do not think that the teachers in Western Ne do not have the same problems. You do not think that laying off state employees will not cause issues for other towns also. I do not know what the right thing is to do but you also need to look at the long term of laying off employees especially state workers.
In Nebraska we are talking about lay offs, and cutting the Budget , the government is talking about a masive health care bill, that will impact the budget and most likely Medicaid/Medicare , is it not time too tighten our belts and stop spending money ? I don't think cutting the budget where it needs to be cut is unresonable, it needs to be done,
I say lay off all state workers who stand around holding a shovel handle while one guy is in the hole working. If we cut some of the shovel holding jobs we could save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Maybe we should cut the governors pay also since he thinks everybody else should get a paycut.
You can't be serious. Have you ever spent a day with a teacher in the lps school system? For every teacher who takes a 2 hour lunch and doesn't deserve it there are five or six who work while eating lunch, then take work home through dinner. Cutting funds isn't going to help anything; it will make the lazy teachers lazier and the hard working teachers will be forced to work harder. Go actually follow one of these (many) hardworking teachers around; then try to make a reasonable comment about teachers needing to do their own work (and try not to YELL IT AT US this time.
Because of this bad news we have more reasons not to build the Arena. The Mayor wants to build it on the backs of restaurants and bars already hit by the poor economy. Now more Lincoln residents will see their paychecks reduced which will further harm all businesses including those the Mayor wants to tax. The Mayor should get some cajones and ask for a one quarter percent increase in sales tax if he wants the Arena that bad.
BUDGET PROBLEMS CLEAN UP THE FAT FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THEM TEACHERS CAN DO THEIR OWN WORK, THEY DON'T NEED ANY ASSIT. WHEN YOU SEE ONE TAKE A TWO HOUR LUNCH WHAT'S THE DEAL HERE. CLEAN IT UP NOW!!!
YOU HAVE BUDGET PROBLEMS LAY OFF LINCOLN POLICE, YOU DON'T NEED THAT MANY COPS PERIOD. YOU KNOW IT I KNOW IT AND EVERYBODY KNOWSIT. GET RID OF 50 PERCENT NOW
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